Bærfisk
Bærfisk is a small fishing village, nestled in the mountains of the north. A haven of peaceful living, where man and nature cohabitat seamlessly. The town was built along a narrow, but powerful river of glacial runoff that cuts through the rocky mountainside. The town is quiet, relatively isolated from the rest of the world in the shadows of the northern mountains. History With just a single road in and out of Bærfisk, and not particularly on the way to anywhere, the young town received few traders, adventurers, or explorers. It was thought of, and treated as, a seasonal game retreat for professional hunter, fisher, gatherer types for generations. It is unknown when the first settlers arrived, but it is thought that the river’s rich abundance of freshwater first kept them there. The town grew slowly, as agriculture was difficult and the winters brutal. At first it was just seasonal fishermen and hunters braving the coldest parts of fall and winter for the freshest catch or tracking their hunt, but the tepid summers eventual lent to several small groups making permanent residence in the small, plateaued field in the crook of two ridges where the river ran deepest. As the population grew, residents began looking to some of the natural resources to erect permanent structures, modest cabins at first. Strong pine trees were plentiful, and eventually the use of local stone was common for the construction of more weather-sturdy domiciles. Many of the first stone constructions were primitive and rudimentary, and made predominantly of shale from the riverbed. Bærfisk is ruled by no single man, or woman for that matter, as all were equal and held to the responsibility of the greater good. There was no tax collection, or ruling class; if you and your family were in need of something, there was no disgrace to ask at a town meeting. Conversely, if your family had harvest or game to spare, you offered to those less fortunate. The town collectively harvested materials and built homes and other structure when the need presented itself. Perhaps the largest of these undertakings was the construction of Álfhóll, the large tavern and beer hall, built to serve as a more permanent venue for town gatherings and celebrations. Álfhóll Generations of townsfolk would gather at the Álfhóll, the great tavern served as the town hall for public debate. Matters of justice, crime, economics and public health were all addressed, and all opinions heard and treated with respect. The town ran on the justice in especting the collective, and if you couldn’t you were asked to move on. There were only several brief incidents of breaking this rule in the town’s long past. The Álfhóll was also home to the the great storytellers of Bærfisk. The tavern belonged to the townsfolk, but the bard of Bærfisk would tend to the bar, the inn, and the wine; the wild berries of the Bærfisk valley were made into a sweet, dark wine, and stored in the tavern’s cellar overwinter in barrels made from the fallen pines of the forest. Notable Residents * Bä’rdræk Hrópa * Bryär Hrópa * Jorväl Hrópa Category:Location Category:Village